Shadows of Yesterday
by Emerald Night
Summary: The jewel is complete and Naraku has been defeated...an unforgivable betrayal and a shattered love...what will Kagome find in the arms of an enemy?
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:** This story already exists on MediaMiner…however…after re-reading it I have decided to modify it and re-post here.  I was not entirely happy with the way it ended up previously…so now its time to change it!!  Reviews are welcome and I hope you enjoy it!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inu Yasha ::sigh::  DAMNIT WHY NOT!?!

**Prologue: Into The Night**

_The night calls for me_

_The darkness hides the memory_

_Into the blackness with only the stars above_

_I run away from the light that remembers my love_

_A beauty which illuminated my life, and my heart_

_Brilliantly it shined, until the day my world fell apart_

_Blindly reaching for one last chance_

_Heartache and loneliness met my desperate glance_

_Crippled by an unbelievable pain_

_The loss was driving me insane_

_Refusing to believe it was fated_

_My heart no longer loved, it hated_

_The sunlight that was once so peaceful and warm_

_Now reminded me that I was bleeding and torn_

_In the stillness the night always hears_

_Only the moonlight would see my tears_

_My grief as deep as the night is black_

_My heart I did not want back_

_Love I no longer see_

_When the night calls for me_

****

What were you supposed to do when the love of your life turned out to be a joke? 

A horrible and cruel joke that came at your expense.

How were you supposed to cope with a pain that was relentless and unforgiving?

A pain that ate at your soul.

How were you supposed to live without the only person you ever wanted?

A person who hurt you, left you, betrayed you, and never loved you.

How were you supposed to repair the heart that had been so ruthlessly and completely broken?

There were too many pieces.

And where were you supposed to find the strength to love again?

When you had long ago ceased believing in miracles.


	2. A Time of Pain, A Flicker of Hope

**A Time of Pain, A Flicker of Hope**

The night was dark and overwhelming as the cold wind blew harshly across the land.  The moon was hiding, refusing to light the world below.  It was a night meant for heartache and pain, a night to mourn and grieve when the blackness could hide your secret anguish.  

Looking over her shoulder to make sure no one had followed her, Kagome sat at the edge of a pond, staring at her reflection desperately searching for the girl she once was.  The image looking back at her was frightening, sadness etched into every line of her face, shadows haunting her eyes and dulling their brightness.  Kagome did not recognize the disheartened woman before her and felt a flare of anger for a brief moment at the man who had broken her spirit and put out her fire.  

Inu Yasha.  The one name pulled so many emotions out of her: loneliness, despair, hatred, joy, friendship, tenderness and love.  As these conflicting feeling coursed through her grief stricken body, Kagome recalled the event that had finally shattered the heart that had been breaking for two years.

Flashback

_Flashes of white swirled around the couple, flashes Kagome knew to be the soul stealers of her incarnate, Kikyou. Inu Yasha stood in front of her, so close it appeared the two were in an intimate embrace.  And although they did not touch Kagome could feel the passion surrounding them. _

_"I love you Kikyou, I always have and always will" Inu Yasha said to Kikyou as he grabbed her hand and placed it over his heart.  "Kagome means nothing to me, she was only a reminder of the woman I loved, a woman who was stolen from, and a woman whose death I mourned and love I yearn for everyday."  He ended on whisper, using his other arm to bring her into his embrace._

_"You know that I hate you Inu Yasha" Kikyou replied looking into the eyes of the hanyou she once loved "That is the curse of my rebirth, the curse of this dead shell that was awakened to destroy you.  I will take you to hell with me so that we may be together forever, in our hate and love." _

_"It doesn't matter" Inu Yasha replied urgently "Take me with you so that me may share the same pain, the same torment, to be with you forever is my wish, and my fate." And with those words the ground beneath them began to shudder as it opened up. _

_From a distance a horrified Kagome watched as the couple, now involved in a passionate kiss, began to slowly sink into the depths of the Earth, or more accurately, the depths of hell.  Frozen in place, Kagome's heart cried out for the man she loved as he disappeared into blackness, but her mind refused to let her rush to pull him out knowing that it was useless, Inu Yasha wanted to be with Kikyou, he was destined to.  Kagome closed her eyes, refusing to watch the couple any longer.  When the Earth stopped moving under her feet, she reluctantly opened her eyes to emptiness, the ground was whole and Inu Yasha was gone, forever._

End of flashback

Feeling her heart break again as she recalled the memory, Kagome looked up at the sky, beckoning its infinite wisdom to explain to her why she should be the one to be in pain, why she should be left alive when all that mattered to her had died, with another in his arms. 

As she silently asked the questions she knew would never be answered, a brilliant streak of white marred the perfect blackness of the sky.  _How ironic_, Kagome thought to herself.  _A shooting star, a sign of hope, appears before me on a night when I have none._

Not one to ignore tradition, Kagome made a wish upon the shooting star.  She wished for the one thing that would erase the memory of one tragic night.  With the courage and bravery of the woman who had started this journey two years before, Kagome wished for the one thing she believed she would never find again, she wished for love.


	3. HelloSesshoumaru

**Hello…Sesshoumaru**

He was dead.  His worthless hanyou half brother was in hell with his dead miko bitch.  The only emotion the Lord of The Western Lands felt over the death of his sibling was a slight irritation.  After having spent the better of two years fighting Inu Yasha for the Tetsusaiga and trying to rid the world of his annoying presence, he had finally died, and he, Sesshoumaru, had not been the one to deal the fatal blow.

As he patrolled the borders of his land, Sesshoumaru wondered if Inu Yasha had taken the sword to Hell with him.  The thought angered the lord, even in death it seemed that Inu Yasha would hold the power to destroy while he, the most feared youkai in the land, was cursed with the power to heal.  Indeed to him this miraculous ability to heal and bring the dead to life was a curse, he held a deep hatred for his sword, Tenseiga.  Drawing the sword from the scabbard at his waist, Sesshoumaru examined it and questioned his dead father's reasons for giving him such a sword.  Why give him the power to heal when he, Sesshoumaru, craved destruction and enjoyed the kill.  Why give him the power to heal when what he needed was the power to destroy and protect the Western Lands that were vast and envied among the most powerful youkai.  Why give such a gift to a lowly hanyou who was neither worthy nor capable of harnessing such a power. 

Again failing to find answers to the questions that plagued his mind, Sesshoumaru sheathed his sword, unable to simply discard it as he had been tempted to do so many times before.  The reasons which motivated his father to give him this sword, shrouded in mystery, greatly angered him, yes, but beneath the frustration and rage Sesshoumaru was intrigued and greatly curious.  He told himself that he kept the sword because he was determined to uncover the mystery, but somewhere deep inside, in a place he refused to look, he sensed there was another reason he could not part with it.

His thoughts shifting back to the Tetsusaiga, Sesshoumaru contemplated the best way to discover the location of the fated fang.  With his half brother dead there was only one who could bring him to it, only one who could hold it, and only one who had power over it.  Her name was not important; he would not lower himself to learn the name of a mere human.  But her scent he had learned to recognize through their many battles, fresh rain and flowers.  He would find the wench that traveled with is brother, he would get the Tetsusaiga and he would kill the girl, and as the last remaining child of his great Inu demon father, he would be its master.

"Kagome why are you so sad?"

Lost in her thoughts Kagome did not hear the small kitsune cub walk up to her.  Looking down into the face of the little fox demon she had adopted as her own.

"Inu Yasha is gone.  We are all sad Shippou." She told him, not wanting to reveal the true reason she was so depressed.  It was true what she had said.  Everyone was sad, Miroku, Sango, Kaede and Shippou.  Inu Yasha was a friend and he was sorely missed.  That night, after she had made her wish on the shooting star, Kagome had returned to camp and met the distressed glances of her companions.  It seemed that as she watched Inu Yasha disappear into the Earth, she had been too distracted and in too much pain to notice that she was not the only one watching the tragic scene.  Shippou, wondering where Inu Yasha had disappeared to, had left camp to find him.  Find him he did, in time to witness the climax of the scene that plagued Kagome's memory.  Shippou had not seen the whole thing, nor had he heard the words spoken, only Kagome knew, and that was why her pain was so much deeper and visible than the others.  Her pain was the pain of betrayal.

"I miss him" she heard Shippou whisper, his voice full of emotion as he tried to hold back tears. 

Gathering the small kit in her arms and cradling him against her chest she slowly rocked him as his tears flowed out.  Feeling the emotion that wracked his small body, Kagome felt her own tears flow down her cheeks.  She would never tell them about the truth of that night, her memory of Inu Yasha might be marred, but she wouldn't let the reality of what had happened destroy her friends, as it had destroyed her.  As Shippou's cries became quieter, Kagome felt exhaustion take over her body.  Standing up, with the kitsune cub dozing in her arms, she laid down in her sleeping bag and went to sleep silently praying that tomorrow would be better than today.

It had been an emotional morning and a very difficult one as well.  Good-byes always were hard.  Especially when you saying good bye to a part of your life.  With the jewel completed and her job finished, Kagome felt that her time in the Feudal Age was over.  There was nothing left here for her, expect the pain of memories and the grief of a lost love.  She would miss the friends she had come to love over the two years.  Each one of them held a special place in her heart and she knew she would never forget them.  And Shippou, the one who had become like a son to her, it broke her heart to leave him, but she had to, it was the only way she could stay sane, the only way she could survive.

Standing in front of the well that would take her back home, 500 years into the future, Kagome felt the tears well up at the thought of never returning.  She had come to love this age, she had come to love the pure untamed beauty and the crisp and fresh air.  Setting her pack on the ground beside the well, she turned and walked to the God Tree, the place she had first met him, Inu Yasha.  Reaching out and touching the place where he had been pinned she close her eyes.

"Good Bye…Inu Yasha" she whispered as one solitary tear rolled down her cheek and hit the ground at her feet.  Lowering her head in grief and taking her hand off the tree, she slowly opened her eyes and was stunned at the sight that greeted her.  Kneeling down, she ran her hands over the object that had caught her attention. 

"Tetsusaiga" she whispered.  She couldn't believe it.  She thought the sword had gone with Inu Yasha, that he had taken it into hell with him.  But here it was, lying at the base of the God Tree, sheathed in its scabbard.  _What was she supposed to do now?_She wondered to herself.  Acting purely on instinct she picked up the blade, the sword that had saved so many lives, including her own, and pulled it out of its scabbard.  As she did she felt a jolt of power course through her and was blinded momentarily by a bright flash of blue light.  Using her hands to shield her eyes, she dropped the sword and the light dissipated. 

"What the hell was that?" Kagome said out loud wondering why she now felt the presence of the sword, just as she had felt the presence of the shikon shards.

She reached out, her hand slightly trembling in anticipation as the cool metal of the sword tempted her to touch it again.  Is that what it felt like?  Is this what Inu Yasha felt every time he wielded the powerful fang?  There was a lethal power hidden underneath its rusty appearance, she knew from experience just how deadly the sword could be, was this power to be hers now?  Her hand hovered over the blade, hesitant in touching it again.  Why had it stayed behind when its mastered had left this world?  The sword called out to her it was almost as if it wanted something, almost as if it wanted her.

She was so lost in the mystery of the sword that now lay before her Kagome did not felt the dark and omnipotent aura behind her until it was too late.  She stiffened, every muscle in her body tensed as she waited for the youkai behind her to make his move.

"It seems" she heard a smooth voice say from behind her "that the Tetsusaiga has found its new master."

Her eyes widened in fear as the voice spoke.  She knew that voice, that emotionless and deceptively calm tone could only belong to one person.  Turning around slowly she faced the vicious demon who would stop at nothing to possess the Tetsusaiga.  Staring into the cold eyes of the demon Lord, Kagome feared for her life because, if what he said was true, she was now the master of the sword, and if the battles between him and Inu Yasha meant anything, he would kill her to get it.  Terrified at the thought of what he was going to do, Kagome said the first thing that popped into her head

"Hello…Sesshoumaru"

**Review Responses:**

**Silver-Blue-eyes: **Thank you for being the first to review my new and hopefully improved version of this story!!!  THANK YOU!!!


	4. Defiance and Escape

**Defiance**** and Escape**

He had headed straight to Inu Yasha's Forest, knowing that she would be there and sure enough, he could smell her, the scent of spring rain and fresh flowers, easily distinguishable in a time where most all humans smelled horrific.  He followed the scent until it became stronger, until he could smell the emotions pouring out of her. He could smell the sadness and the saltiness of tears and he could sense the loss and depression, so powerful were these feelings that he could all but see them surrounding her when he finally reached her.  Landing a good distance behind her he watched as she, too involved in her grief to notice the demon, talked to the tree which he recalled had once held his half brother prisoner.  He watched as she knelt down and found interest in an object he could not see.  It was then that he smelled it.  The faint stirrings of power.  He started to walk towards her, to see the object that had obviously entranced her. But then she stood up, with the object in her hand, and he found himself cursing the lunacy of his dead father…again.

She held the Tetsusaiga.  Its power was awakening, calling to her.  She unsheathed the powerful fang and he was instantly blinded by a bright blue light.  A light he had only seen one other time, when his brother had held Tetsusagia in his hands and had become its master.  He was too late, he realized as a wave of fury rushed through his body.  The Tetsusaiga had a chosen a new master.  He was snapped out of his thoughts when the girl asked a question, although not directed at him since she had yet to learn of his presence, he felt compelled to answer.

"What the hell was that?" the human asked.

"It seems" he started, none of the rage he felt at having lost the sword again and this time to a human touched his voice "that the Tetsusaiga has found a new master."

He didn't need his keen senses to know that she was now afraid.  He saw it in the quick tensing of her body, the way she slowly turned around as if she was facing her death, and the way her eyes widened when she saw him standing there.  He was not, however, prepared for what came out of her mouth next.

"Hello…Sesshoumaru" she said timidly.  She did not scream, she did not run, and she did not throw herself at his feet begging for him to spare her life.  He was surprised that a human, let alone a woman, had the strength and courage to stand before him without cowering in fear.  He ignored the traces of respect he felt crawl into his mind for his half brother's wench.  Instead he walked up to her, enjoying the fact that she took several steps backwards and calmly stretched out his hand.

"Give me the sword."

As Kagome realized that he was not trying to slash her through or rip her to shreds, she looked down at the sword she had unconsciously stood over, as if to protect it, she felt her fist stirrings of anger.  This demon, who had tried to kill her many times, who was vicious, cold hearted, and a ruthless murderer,  this demon who hated all humans with a passion had just demanded that she give him a sword that would make him invincible.  He expected her to give up the Tetsusaiga without a fight, give up her life without a fight, because handing over the fang would ensure her death.  What use did he have in keeping a lowly human girl like herself alive?  No, she had been through hell, she had been betrayed, she had been sad, and now she would fight back.  Not caring if she lived, as long as she died fighting.  

"No" she said, looking straight into the demon Lord's hard gold eyes, and for a moment she thought she saw something flash in those eyes at her defiance, something that heated those normally cold depths.  "This sword was Inu Yasha's, but he is dead, and now it is mine.  As you said the Tetsusaiga has chosen a new master, and its not you" she finished, her anger giving her the strength she needed to stand against Sesshoumaru.

"If you will not give it to me, I will just take it" he replied in a bored tone.  Without taking his eyes off of her he reached down and grabbed the hilt of the Tetsusaiga.  

In the next instant Sesshoumaru found himself sailing through the air as his arm tingled from the powerful jolt of electricity that had shot through him.  The sword had accepted her and would not allow any other to wield it.  He had been here before with the hanyou.  He had been stronger than his half brother; he was stronger than this human, but the sword would not allow his touch.  He suppressed the growl of frustration that clamored for release.  He had been fighting for the sword for so long now, his worthless hanyou of a half brother the only obstacle in his way.  But he was dead, and _she_ had taken his place.

Calmly dusting himself off as he stood up again, Sesshoumaru regarded the woman standing in defiance before him.  She dared to ignore an order from him, Sesshoumaru, Lord of The Western Lands.  The bitch would pay for that, as well as for the fact that she had gotten to the sword before him because now the fang would refuse the hand of anyone but the wench.  When Inu Yasha died, so did his bond to the Tetsusagia.  The girl's fate was sealed; she had to die in order for the bond to be severed and for a new one to be made, through his hand.  

He studied her one last time, the only human to ever defy him.  Anger and hatred emanated from her body, replacing her sadness and grief, her eyes were on fire as she dared him to attempt to take the sword again.  He unclenched the fists at his sides allowing his claws to extend.  Moving with blinding speed, he swung at her, her fear fueling his fury, an overwhelming feeling sense satisfaction washed over him as his claws ripped through the tender flesh of her neck.

Kagome watched him lunge at her; she saw his outstretched and deadly claws as they reached for her neck.  She felt the pain rip through her as her skin was brutally torn and she felt the blood flow from her body as she fell to the ground.  She didn't scream at the agony that wracked her body, she didn't fight the darkness that was rapidly claiming her.  She accepted her death, welcomed it.  With the last of her strength she managed a smile, her wish hadn't come true, she hadn't found love again, but what she was granted was infinitely better, escape.  As the last remnants of life drained from her body, Kagome finally escaped from the emotional prison she had been living in.  The pain, the torment, and the anguish were gone, her life was over, and she was glad.

**Review Responses:**

**Serenity971: **I must agree….waiting is not fun…but it is necessary!!  I hope you enjoy this chapter and thank you so much for taking the time to read review!!

**Puppkid****: **As much as I love the idea of Kagome and Inu Yasha together, Inu Yasha loved Kikyou first, he made a promise to her.  It always seems to me that he thinks of Kikyou first, no matter how much he hurts Kagome in the process.  She deserves better!!!!  At least Sesshoumaru would never be in love with a corpse!!!  Thank you for reading and I'm glad you liked it!

**Yamia-chan****: **No review could ever be late…they are always appreciated…so thank you for taking the time to review!

**Tsuki**** Yume: **THANK YOU!  

**Shy Syaoran Girl: **She definitely deserves better and yes…Inu Yasha is jerk!


	5. The Will of Tenseiga

**The Will of Tenseiga**

Sesshoumaru looked at the broken and lifeless from of the miko before him frowning as the familiar rush of adrenaline and satisfaction did not accompany his kill.  He felt as if he had stolen a life that had no right to be taken, as if this woman did not deserve the death she received.  Shaking his head, Sesshoumaru cleared his mind of the unwanted and unbidden thoughts.  She was a human and an obstacle in his way of Tetsusagia, she had to die. 

Turning away from her body, Sesshoumaru once again bent to pick up the coveted sword only to be once again forcefully thrown from Tetsusagia.  He did not understand.  Even in death the woman maintained her power over the sword, deeming her an even more powerful master than his hanyou half brother.  As the thought passed through his head, he felt the Tenesiga begin to awaken at his side.

_Useless sword_ he thought to himself.  Although the sword had been crafted for him, he was not its master.  It came to life when it wanted to, it saved the lives of those it wanted to save and slept when it wished for the dead to remain so.  He did not understand why the Tenesiga chose only certain people and it infuriated him to no end that it never responded to his commands.

Pulling the sword from the scabbard at his waist, he felt the healing power in the blade awaken to force he had yet to experience.  It gave off a soft blue glow as its power intensified, reacting to the dead form lying only a few feet away.  It seemed the Tenesiga wanted to save the miko he had just slaughtered.  Indeed, the sword's desire for the woman to live was so strong that it did not even wait for Sesshoumaru to slash her body and kill the little creatures already taking her soul.  Light spilled from the sword in a blue wave, washing over the girl's fallen body, evaporating the creatures and reviving her.

Re-sheathing his sword, Sesshoumaru watched as life filled the woman once more.  She was unconscious, and would probably sleep for awhile.  Pushing aside the anger and frustration that threatened to overtake him, Sesshoumaru approached this new development with the logic and coldness he was known the world over for.  

It seemed the Tenesiga had a reason for bringing this woman back to life, which was evident in the sheer power it released to secure her revival.  He also grudgingly acknowledged the fact that he needed this girl if he ever hoped to possess the Tetsusagia.  If he could not hold the power in his own hands then he would harness it through her.  There was another reason, one he would not admit to but one he felt nonetheless.  Despite the fact that she was human, she had earned a certain amount of his respect.  She had not run from him when she was afraid, she dared to defy him when it most certainly ensured her death, and she did not cry when she died, no, she had smiled.  She was different from other humans; she was a mystery, one he intended to solve.  He would not allow a mere human perplex him so, he would uncover the mystery that surrounded her and he would forget her.

With that resolve in mind, Sesshoumaru picked up the miko, noticing that the Tetsusagia had found its way into her hands, and took off into the sky and towards his castle.  The miko would stay with him until he could figure out her the nature of her bond to the Tetsusagia and the way he could break it.

As her scent surrounded him Sesshoumaru silently cursed the sword that had him carrying a human in his arms.  

It was powerful, the will of Tenesiga.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kagome woke up disorientated and confused.  She had died, she had felt it, she remembered.  But then why was she now sitting in the middle of a gigantic bed in the midst of the most beautiful room she had ever seen.  

The room was large and spacious, with ceiling to floor windows making one wall.  Shimmering gold silk curtains draped the magnificent windows, smooth hard wood floors polished to a high sheen, and the other walls were white, dusted with gold glitter.  The bed was heavenly, molding itself to her every curve to ensure the greatest amount of comfort.  Laying her head back down on the pillows, Kagome caught a flash of blue above her.  Sitting up again to examine what had caught her eye, Kagome found herself staring at a very familiar insignia etched into the wall over the bed, it was a blue crescent moon.  A rush of fear ran through her as she contemplated the implication of the symbol on the wall, her brain coming to only one conclusion.  She was not dead, she was alive and she was in a room of a castle that obviously belonged to…

"Sesshoumaru" Kagome said out loud, finishing the sentence that had formed in her mind, unable to believe that she was now in the home of the demon Lord who had just killed her.

"Yes" she heard a masculine voice say behind her.  Slowly Kagome turned her attention from the crescent moon on the wall to face, for the second time that day, Sesshoumaru, but this time, she refused to be afraid, he had already killed her once, what more could he possible do to her?  

Crossing her arms over her chest and tilting her head up in a defiant position she calmly asked, "Why am I here?"

"I, Sesshoumaru, do not answer the questions of a human" he replied casually.  

He had been standing in the doorway for awhile now.  He had watched as she slept, unable to draw himself away from her.  He did not understand why he felt drawn to her now, perhaps it was the mysterious power she held over the Tetsusagia, perhaps it was the bravery she displayed, a trait he had never seen among humans, perhaps it was the crisp clean scent that surrounded her, or perhaps it was the ethereal beauty she possessed.  

That flawless creamy skin, the long raven hair that sparkled with the light, the brilliant blue eyes that defied him, and the full rosy lips that begged to be kissed.  _NO!!_  He screamed in his head.  Surely he, Lord Sesshoumaru of the Western Lands had not just commented on the beauty of a…human?  It was not possible, true she was a miko and was more powerful than the ordinary human, but she was one nonetheless.  His thoughts had been interrupted when she finally awoke.  He watched the confusion, wonder, amazement, fear, and finally anger light up her face.  _She feels so much_ he thought, silently envying her ability to feel and express.

He was slightly amused when she asked, no, demanded to know why she was here, in his palace.  _Amused?  Rin has made me soft.  _Indeed, the small human child he had revived one day had softened him, opening doors to long forgotten feelings and experiences.  

"Fine" he heard her say, once again bringing him out of his thoughts, "If you will not answer my question, then I will just leave" she ended, getting off of the bed and walking straight towards him, intent on leaving the room.

"You will not" he replied forcefully

"Yes. I. Will" she grated out through clenched teeth, "Kill me if you must, you already have once, but I refuse to stay here with you!" she yelled.

"I cannot kill you" he replied calmly to her fiery outburst.

"What!!" Kagome yelled, the disbelief evident in her voice.

"It is not within my power to do so" he replied dryly, recalling the power of Tenesiga, "leave if you want, but I will find you again and bring you back here, you cannot out run me, and you cannot hide, escape is futile and useless."

Kagome could only stare at the demon Lord as his words sunk in.  He could not kill her and escape was impossible, she was stuck here.  _But why does he keep me?_ She wondered.  _The Tetsusagia, he wants the sword _she remembered suddenly.  Even as the thought passed through her mind she felt the presence of the sword , turning to look in the direction in which the feeling was the strongest she saw the fang, sheathed in its scabbard lying on the bed, next to where she had been sleeping.

"You want Tetsusagia" she finally said, "You cannot have it, I am its master"

"I will have it and I will be its master and when it is mine you will die" and with that he walked out of the room, the door closing behind him, automatically locking it to prevent her from leaving. 

_God I hate that demon!_ She fumed in her head, throwing herself onto the bed in frustration.  Replaying the last scene in her head, she pictured the demon Lord in her mind.  Long silver hair, impossibly beautiful, flowed down his back, gold eyes that were always so cold and hard, a deceptively lean body that hid the immense power within.  His face was striking, finely chiseled cheek bones with matching crimson stripes on either side, and a blue crescent moon on his forehead.  He was magnificent in his power and his masculinity.  She hated to admit that Sesshoumaru was probably the most gorgeous male she had ever seen.  She found it ironic that such beauty and perfection could hide such malice and hate.  Pushing the demon out of her head she sat up and looked around the room once again, sill in awe of its beauty.

_What am I supposed to do now?  Sit in this room until Sesshoumaru figures out a way to take the Tetsusagia?  Am I supposed to rot here, waiting for the day that he can kill me…again?_ She thought in her head, getting angrier with each word.  _No.  I will not sit idly by while he finds a way to destroy me again._  

As her hands clenched at her sides with determination and anger, she cried out in pain as blood started to pour from her hands.  Raising a hand to her face to examine the reason for her injury she saw four identical puncture marks in the palm of her hand.  Then she saw them, the long vicious sharpness of them.  She nearly fainted at the sight of the deadly weapons that had grown out of her fingers.  She almost cried when she realized exactly what had happened.  

She, a miko, a human, had grown the claws of an inu demon.__


End file.
